Do you know what you want to be when you grow up? Mae sure did! Mae wants to see what the Earth looks like from space. When she finds out that she needs to become an astronaut in order to do that, she starts learning everything she can about it. One day at school her teacher tells her that her dream is not a good one and she should become a nurse instead. Mae's eyes sparkled like the stars when she talked about her dream but when her teacher told her that, the stars fell out of her eyes. When she got home her mom told her, "if you believe it, and work hard for it, anything is possible." Does Mae let other people extinguish her dream or does she reach for the stars? Read this inspiring story of a young girl who dreams big and sets her eyes on the stars!

This true story of Mae Jemison, the first African American woman to travel in space. Mae has a dream and she never falters from that dream. I love her parents for supporting her, especially when she is not supported by others. Do not miss this amazing story of dreams, imagination, goals, and overcoming negativity!

What lengths would you go to to save your best friend? Max and Ahmed have never met but when their lives collide, the unexpected happens. Ahmed lived in Syria with his loving family. When the bomb hit his home, he and his dad had just left. Ahmed didn't know what to do when he lost his mother and sisters, but when he lost his dad to the ocean as they fled Syria, he was completely alone. He landed in Brussels, Belgium a lonely refugee and he found shelter in the basement of a house. He lived for months undetected, that is, until Max finds him. Max and his family have recently moved from America to Brussels for a year because of his dad's job. Even though Max lives with his family, he feels all alone. His parents are working all the time, his sister ignores him most of the time, he is being bullied in school, and he speaks very little French. So when Max realizes that Ahmed is living in his basement, it is no surprise that they become best friends. Max finds out that Ahmed misses school so with the help of some of his classmates, they forge his way into Max's school. There is just one big problem... Brussels is being attacked by terrorists and everyone is on edge. When the police begin to unrightfully suspect Ahmed of these attacks, he knows it is time for him to run, but will Max allow him to flee? What lengths will Max and Ahmed go to to clear his name and keep him from going to a refugee camp? Read this incredible book to find out what happens!!

I don't believe I have ever read a story so deeply rooted in friendship as this one! I loved this book so much! I found myself rooting for Ahmed and Max from the very beginning when they were alone all the way to the end, when their friendship was unbreakable. This is a heartwarming story of family, friendship, and what it means to never give up on each other!

What would you do if you went head to head with your enemy and won, only to find out there is an even greater enemy to face? Only a few weeks before Serafina and Braeden defeated the man in the black cloak. Serafina has been working so hard with her mother to join the catamount family, only to learn that it is too late. Serafina can freely walk the halls of Biltmore now but she is still not comfortable with this new found freedom. She is struggling... she is too human for the forest and too wild for the house. One night while she is in the forest, she faces a creature that is more powerful and more horrible that she has ever seen. And while she is battling his creatures in the forest he has sent on an accomplice into Biltmore. All of the animals in the Blue Ridge Mountains are in mortal danger, even Serafina's mom and siblings. All of the people that are in Biltmore are in mortal danger, including Braeden and her Pa and the Vanderbilts. Will Serafina and Braeden be able to sniff out the intruder that has worked their way into the magnificent home? Or will this unknown intruder cause a gulf so wide between Braeden and Serafina that it can never be crossed? Will Serafina choose to run and hide in the mountains forever, or will she fight for her home? Read Robert Beatty's exciting new thriller, the second in the Serafina series, set in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina and the Biltmore Estates.

The Serafina series is one of my favorite books series EVER! I read these books to my sixth grade book club and each year the kids are begging for more. There is just the right amount of thrilling cliffhangers, scary conjurers, and friendship that can never be broken. Do not miss this second book in the Serafina series!!

​Also, don't miss out on the Serafina and the Twisted Staff PowerPoint that you can purchase through my TpT store. This PowerPoint has 176 slides and asks students comprehensive and thought questions chapter by chapter. It also has pictures of the different rooms described in the book. The students will learn so much about the Biltmore Estates. Click here to go directly to my TpT store or scroll down to access it. If you read this book as a read aloud, this PowerPoint is a must!!

Imagine that you wake up and you have been buried alive? You have no memories of what happened to get you there or how long you have been there. Serafina has battled and defeated the Man in the Black Cloak and she has battled and defeated the Twisted Staff. Now she has to find a way to battle to get out of the ground. After she gets out and heads home to Biltmore Estates, she encounters a storm-creech creature and a sorcerer in a hooded cloak. She has to get home to warn her friends and family, but when she gets there she finds that things are not the same. Braeden is very sad and looks like he has been in a battle himself and almost lost. The other shocker to Serafina is that Braeden is in possession of the black cloak and he decides to put it on. Serafina has to try and figure out what has happened to her world. She is the guardian of Biltmore and she is also the guardian of the Blue Mountains but how can she help defend any part of her world when she feels so lost? With time running out for Serafina, she must find a way to rally her friends and find a way to fight a new, unknown enemy. In this third installment in the Serafina books, this is one that can not be missed!

The Serafina series is one of my favorite books series EVER! I read these books to my sixth grade book club and each year the kids are begging for more. There is just the right amount of thrilling cliffhangers, scary conjurers, and friendship that can never be broken. Do not miss this third book in the Serafina series!!

​Also, don't miss out on the Serafina and the Splintered Heart PowerPoint that you can purchase through my TpT store. This PowerPoint has 175 slides and asks students comprehensive and thought questions chapter by chapter. It also has pictures of the different rooms described in the book. The students will learn so much about the Biltmore Estates. Click here to go directly to my TpT store or scroll down to access it. If you read this book as a read aloud, this PowerPoint is a must!!

Do you always fear that there is danger around every corner? Serafina has been the protector of the Biltmore Estate her whole life. She started out as the CRC, Chief Rat Catcher, and her skills have grown from catching rats to a sorcerer in a black cloak to a conjurer with unbelievable powers. She has gone to battle to protect the people of Biltmore many times, but now she has a whole new battle, and this time she has to do it without her best friend, Braeden. She is having to fight things that don't even seem real to her - creatures with wings and sharp talons, snarling griffins with the body of an African lion with the head and wings of an eagle, and an extremely large wyvern with talons as sharp as knives. She doesn't understand why these creatures are attacking and killing the people of Biltmore. She also doesn't understand why they are targeting Baby Nell, Mr. and Mrs. Vanderbilt's daughter. By the time Serafina figures out what is happening, will it be too late for the Vanderbilts? Can she figure out a way to get Braeden to come back and help her? Will she find a way to save her beloved Biltmore and the people who live there, or will this be the final chapter that brings the estate to ruins? Find out by reading the fourth installment of the Serafina books!!! Don't miss out!!

I am a HUGE fan of Serafina!! I read these books to my 6th grade book club every year and they are as obsessed with these books as I am! I am over the top excited to introduce Serafina and the Seven Stars to my new group of 6th graders this year. With every book that Robert Beatty publishes, I think that he can't outdo the previous book, but he does. Every Serifina book is edge-of-your-seat exciting and this new one does not disappoint. If you have read my blogs before then you know that I am not a fast reader, so when I say I read this one in a day, that should let you know something about this book. I could not put it down!! Do not miss this book that is full of action, suspense, fantasy, magic, family, friendship, and most of all love!

Also, don't miss out on the Serafina and the Seven Stars PowerPoint that you can purchase through my TpT store. This PowerPoint has 168 slides and asks students comprehensive and thought questions chapter by chapter. It also has pictures of the different rooms described in the book. The students will learn so much about the Biltmore Estates. Click here to go directly to my TpT store or scroll down to access it. If you read this book as a read aloud, this PowerPoint is a must!!

Serafina & the Seven Stars Book Study PowerPoint

$10.00

I am a HUGE fan of Serafina!! I read these books to my 6th grade book club every year and they are as obsessed with these books as I am! I am over the top excited to introduce Serafina and the Seven Stars to my new group of 6th graders this year. With every book that Robert Beatty publishes, I think that he can't outdo the previous book, but he does. Every Serifina book is edge-of-your-seat exciting and this new one does not disappoint. If you have read my blogs before then you know that I am not a fast reader, so when I say I read this one in a day, that should let you know something about this book. I could not put it down!! Do not miss this book that is full of action, suspense, fantasy, magic, family, friendship, and most of all love!

This PowerPoint has 168 slides with pictures from the Biltmore and different objects from the book. Each slide with words has animation with each click, which means you can show the question before the answer is shown. The font is Calibri (Body) size 28. If you computer does not have this font you may need to adjust the font and size to go along with your software. The background is at transparency 22%. For the preview it looks like there is no transparency. When you download this product if the background is not light enough to read the words you need to lower the transparency.

Have your parents ever experienced adult problems that you just don't understand? Have you ever felt frustrated by being left in the dark when it comes to your family issues? Lyndie B. Hawkins is just such issues and she is about to blow her lid from all of the secrecy. All of her life she has had two loving parents, a great house, and a "normal" life. Then, when her dad came back from the Vietnam War everything changed. He didn't come back with any physical damage like so many others in their small town, but he did not come back the same as when he left. Things went from bad to worse when he lost his job. Her mom had to get a job and when she wasn't working she stayed locked up in her bedroom with headaches. The final breaking point was when they had to sell their house and move in with Lyndie's grandparents, Lady and Grandpa Tad. Lady is a very proper Southern lady who believes that family problems need to be swept under the rug and kept quiet from the gossiping small town. Things spiral out of control when she finds her dad hiding alcohol in his car and he walks around at night with a gun. All of this secrecy is killing Lyndie on the inside, but she is also having to cover for her family with her best friend, Dawn. Dawn is her only friend and all of the lying is driving a wedge between them. Then when Dawn informs her that her family is going to foster a juvenile delinquent boy named D.B, she thinks that she has lost her best friend forever. Little does Lyndie know that when the secrets of her family are exposed it will be an explosion that will affect not only her and her family, but the friends around her. Will Lyndie ever be able to confess to Dawn what is actually going on in her life? When it is finally revealed who D.B's foster family was, will this contribute to the explosion? Will Lady continue to cover up her family secrets or will she finally put away her pride so that her son can get help? Read this incredible story to find out the answers to these questions and so much more!

This book grabbed my heart and wouldn't let go until the last page. Growing up a southern girl myself, I can relate to the small town southern life. Lyndie had to endure more than any eleven-year-old girl should have to and I loved her southern grace. She knows when to keep her mouth shut but she also knows how to give some sass when it was appropriate. She can "bless your heart" and then be "madder than a wet hen" within "two shakes of a sheep's tail". Do not miss this story of family, friendship, love, and loyalty. This is a must read for 2019!!

How would you feel if you were being sent away from your family because of political issues that were festering in the country? Gusta is eleven-years-old and having to move from her family home in New York to live in her grandmother's boarding home in Maine. The time right before World War II and Gusta's father is foreign-born labor organizer who is having to run from the police. The police believe he is a spy against the United States and he is a wanted man. When Gusta arrives in the small town and all of its prejudices, she brings her big city attitude and tried to stifle all of the negative talk. The town believes that anyone who is not American born is dangerous. While Gusta is so busy trying to squash all of the negative talk about foreigners, she is overlooking a very big secret that her own family is keeping. Will Gusta ever see her father again? Does he get arrested or does he get out of the country in time? Will Gusta be able to make a positive impact in her family's home town or will they succeed in driving out all of the foreign born citizens? Read this incredible book to find out to these and many more questions.

I am not a big fan of Historical Fiction, but this book was amazing. Ann Nesbet does a great job of setting the scene of what is going on in 1941 in the U.S., big and small towns. You will fall in love with Gusta. She is bold to stand up for those who have been wronged, and when things are going bad for her and she wants to give up, she doesn't. This book would be a great read to go along with a study of this time period. This is a must read book!

How would you feel if your dad and brother left to go look for work and was never allowed to come home? Gerta and her family live in Berlin. Things are very unsettling and Gerta's dad knows they need to move to the western side where things are safer. He leaves and takes one of Gerta's brothers with him to look for a job. The night before they are to come home, the Berlin Wall is put up and they are not allowed to come home. Gerta, her mom, and her oldest brother are trapped on the east side. Things are not good for them because her dad is now being seen as a traitor and the German soldier have their guns trained on their own people to make sure they don't escape. Many, many people are killed trying to escape but it doesn't hit home for Gerta until her best friend's brother is killed for trying to leave the east side. Many years go by and Gerta is walking to school one day when she sees her dad and brother on the other side. He gives her a clue of how he wants her to escape but it will be so extremely dangerous. Gerta is very undeceive until she finds out that her brother is being forced to join the military. If this happens he will be turned into a killing machine that she will not know. Gerta and her brother decide they don't have a choice so they set off digging a tunnel in the area that her father told her. They are being watched every move they make so this beyond dangerous. If found out, they will be killed on the spot. Can Gerta and Fritz successfully dig a hole under the Berlin Wall without being detected? Will they have enough time before the military expects Fritz to join them? Read this incredible story that will have you on the edge of your seat to find out how this one ends!!

I can not even express how amazing this story is. From the first page to the last Gerta grabs hold of your heart and doesn't let go. When I watch a scary or suspensful movie I always cover my eyes during the intense parts. I don't think I have ever closed my eyes while reading a book, but I'm pretty sure I did it about a hundred times during this book. There were so many times that my heart stopped and I quit breathing for a short period of time while reading. This book is that good! When you get a little over half way through this book you will not be able to put it down. Do Not Miss This Book!!!!

Have you ever had to move from your home to another part of the country, and you were not happy about it? Well this is exactly what happened Alice. Alice, her deaf brother Eddie, and her mom move from Ohio to Rainbow, Georgia. Alice's grandmother is declining in health and needs to be taken care of. Alice did not want to move and refuses to make friends because she knows that they will go back home soon. Little does she know that Rainbow may one day be the home that she needs thanks to Miss Millie. When Alice accidentally eaves-drops on a conversation between Miss Millie and her friend, Alice is forced to go to her neighbor and apologize. To make up for it, she agrees to walk Miss Millie's dog. However, when Clarence won't go with Alice alone, Millie walks with them. This turns into a daily routine and neither one of them can predict the unlikely friendship that occurs. It is an unlikely friendship because Alice is thirteen and Miss Millie is ninety-two, Alice is a young girl and Miss Millie is an old woman, Alice is white and Miss Mille is black. Alice soon learns that the racial tension is more evident in the south than the north. Alice does not see black or white, she just sees a friend; however not everyone is like this in Rainbow. Alice has so many issues going on in her life - being in a town that she doesn't want to be in, not wanting to make any friends, dealing with a a couple of bullies, and trying to figure out where her absentee father is. Will Alice every let Rainbow become her home, will she allow the prejudice of others impact her friendship with Miss Mille, and will her dad ever come and see her in Rainbow? Read this amazing book of family, friendship, and overcoming all odds of prejudice.

I'm not going to lie - this one had be bawling my eyes out, and I was listening to it while driving to work. This is one of the best books about friendship that I have ever read. I loved this book and everyone should read it!!

Have you ever made a big mistake but luckily someone was there to save you? Gabriel turns twelve and is so excited to get a brand new bike. He is so busy showing off and watching people watching him that he was not paying attention to the traffic light that had just turned red. He is just about to be hit by Mrs. Babcock and her big ole car when someone rushes in and pushes him out of the way. It was a black man named Meriwether who was sitting on the corner looking for a job. The problem is, this is Birdsong, South Carolina in 1946. Even though segregation is over, this is the south, and things are not as accepting as in the north. Gabriel and Meriwether become fast friends despite the vast age difference and the color of their skin. Gabriel talks his dad into hiring Meriwether at his gas station, which happens to be in the Green Book. This was a book that offered places of safety for African Americans who were traveling. However, Gabriel's dad has a young, white male who works for him that doesn't believe that whites and blacks are equal and is determined to cause all kinds of problems for Meriwether. Gabriel then learns a huge secret that Meriwether has been keeping - he was actually a member of the Army's All Black 761st Tank Batillion of WWII. He is very proud of his service but he has to keep it a secret because it is so dangerous for himself and his family if anyone found out. When the wrong person finds out about this, Meriwether's daughter is in danger. Will Gabriel be able to save Meriwether and pay him back? Or will evil win? Read this amazing book full of family, friendship, and love despite skin color.

This book is so absolutely, incredibly, amazingly fantastic!! Even though we have come so far since these days, I feel like we have not come far enough. I love fact that Gabriel just sees a friend, not black vs. white. I love the fact that Gabriel stands up for right no matter what the cultural expectations are. I also love that Gabriel's dad instilled these values in his son. My favorite quote from the book is "Well, Gabriel. You'll learn some people just feel the need to think they are better than other folks strictly because of the color of their skin. But I say this: treat all folks, regardless of color, with courtesy and respect. And be as good a person as you can be. Simple as that." This is a MUST read for 2019!!!